As you may have gathered... this summer has been a whirlwind! I've been bouncing from coast to coast, literally, from Nashville to Seattle to New York and everywhere in between. It's so humbling to see my passion for photography and creatives turn into something so much bigger, especially as I watch The New Southern take shape! All of this growth and change has afforded me so many opportunities I am so fortunate to have. This week offered a new growth opportunity as I sat on The Best of the West panel at Las Vegas Market with RESTYLSOURCE. It was new, exciting, and to be honest, a little bit scary.

Fear is a funny thing, but over the years, I've decided fear can either paralyze us or propel us to new places. I’ve learned to use fear as a tool—a sort of litmus test for my personal growth. Instantly, I identify when it emerges. And because I can recognize fear creeping up on me, I've decided I can use it to my advantage. Now, I say “yes” to all opportunities that are the catalyst of fear, driving me to my greater purpose and pushing me to grow as a creative and as a person.

Truthfully, I had a fear of speaking in public. As humbled and excited as I was to be highlighted as a member of The Best of the West, it was a new environment and a big audience. But the more I thought about it and prepared, I realized what an amazing opportunity this was to share my story, how I pivoted from corporate to cancer to creative, and all the life giving inspirations I witness from coast to coast. Being able to sit amongst the talented creatives selected, along with meeting and listening to the stories of all the kind souls who attended, was truly humbling and such a beautiful gift. For me, I conquered my fear this week, I met authentic people, and I welcome more opportunities to share my story in public and connect with other creatives who have had similar pivoting points.

In addition, this experience was my first time to market, and I was blown away by several of the showrooms! I quickly learned that the market setup is so similar to the way I style and photograph a space on shoot day. Intuitively, I really work the room. I naturally gravitate to accessories and items that will compliment any space as another simple, minimally invasive layer. The attention to detail put into each and every market space was yet another reminder of that classic, very Southern attention to detail—and again, a little bit of the South on the West Coast!

And finally, I hope you'll remember this. Most days, I have fears. I have insecurities. I have faults. But I believe that cultivating kindness and continuing to put good out into the world is connecting me to my greater purpose. The Best of the West panel was a perfect way to share that light and love. And, it was yet another reminder of how honored I am to get to know each and every one of you and how thankful I am for your support.

I hope we all, together, can embrace those fears. With small steps forward, I hope we cultivate the moments that will continue to bring us towards our greater good. Xx

For those who missed the panel, I am honored to share some helpful photography and social media tools I discussed along with some fun pictures from the week. Xx